Help me, Help you
by darkbluemoon13
Summary: Snow makes a deal with Katniss and Finnick: Sell themselves to Capitol citizens and their loved ones are returned safely, but Katniss is having trouble adjusting to her new "job".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is set in the middle of Mockingjay but before Peeta, Annie, and the others are rescued. This will probably just be a one-shot, though I usually write multi-chaptered fics. This is not supposed to be a romantic fic between Katniss and Finnick, just friendship, though if it's written nicely, I do approve of a romance between them. This was inspired from Finnick's confession at what the Capitol does to "desirable" victors and Katniss has a musing that people would pay a lot to have a night with the girl on fire. I hope you enjoy! Sorry if Katniss seems OOC, but I thought that under the circumstances she was in, she would have a slight change of character. All mistakes are my own. **

I remember the day when President Snow called Thirteen. Coin had me come into the command center to receive it and it turns out that Snow wanted to make a deal. He said that if both Finnick and I return to the Capitol to be sold to the wealthy citizens, it would ensure the safety and release of Annie and Peeta. If we completed a certain amount of jobs (which would be determined by Snow) then he would us all return to Thirteen safely. Snow showed us a beaten up Peeta and a whimpering Annie to prove his point further. We had no choice, we had to go, even Gale and Haymitch agreed that there was no other option.

Finnick and I arrived at a Capitol hotel where we would share a room. Snow didn't even bother setting guards up at the hotel, he knew that we wouldn't do anything to anger him or else he would take it out on our loved ones. According to Snow, each of our clients had to send him a letter to confirm we did our job. Our only pay was the safety of our loved ones. Each client only got a certain time slot, they couldn't hold us after their time was up. If we were late to an appointment, the client had the choice to either continue as planned or reschedule. No one could book us twice.

Our hotel room wasn't too extravagant, all it held was a king sized bed that Finnick and I would share, a bathroom, two windows that looked out onto the building where the tributes were held before the games, and a few dressers to hold our belongings. I guess this was going to be an extended stay. We put our clothes away in silence and then sat on the bed next to each other. Finnick had out his rope and was making a particularly complicated knot. I wished that I had the rope he gave to me in the bunker, but I left in in Thirteen.

I had been trying to speak to Finnick, awkwardly opening and closing my mouth, fiddling with my fingers, until I said shakily, "Finnick...I'm scared. I don't know how these clients will treat me and I don't want to...submit myself to their whims. I...I'm still a virgin. I don't want to be taken by a random stranger who has no care in the world for my safety and well-being. I know we need to do this to save Peeta and Annie, but I don't know if I can do this! What do I do Finnick?"

I was crying now, sobbing into my hands at the realization of what I was going to be doing. Finnick stopped fiddling with the rope and set it down on the bed and turned to me. He pulled me to him in a comforting hug, rubbing soothing circles on my back. He seemed to struggle with his words a bit before he said, "It was hard for me too Katniss. It made me feel terrible and worthless. It really depended on the client on how well you were treated. I have this bad feeling that since you're a girl, especially the girl on fire, the men aren't going to treat you well," he paused for a moment, then his eyes lite up with hope, "Katniss, I have an idea! I'll follow you to your appointment and when they are about to...you know...then I'll come in and either knock them out or say that you're needed somewhere else! Then we could forge the letter and send it off to Snow. He wouldn't suspect a thing!"

I pondered this for a while, wiping away my tears, thinking it was a great idea until, "But what if you have an appointment the same time I do? What would we do then?"

This seemed to stump Finnick for some time until he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Then I cancel appointment and ask for it to be rescheduled for another time. You could do the same for me, interrupt the appointment and get me out of there. It seems perfect! It's that or you have your first time with me. If you don't think the other plan will work, that may be your only option. I don't want you to have your first time with a stranger, it should be at least with someone you trust..."

"Just can't keep your hands off the girl on fire, can't you?" I laugh sarcastically, "But thanks for being willing to do that for me. No wonder Annie loves you. We should try the first option out before we have to...you know...".

"Alright, when is your first appointment?"

I got up and walked over to the dresser where our schedules have been placed. I scanned over it really quickly and said, "Tomorrow from seven to nine at night. And your first appointment is..." I picked up his schedule and looked it over, "from ten to midnight. This should work!" I exclaimed happily.

Finnick gave a triumphant smile and laid back on the bed, "We should go to sleep, it's late."

I climbed into the bed next to him, laying my head on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. "Fin... you do know that we both are going to have nightmares, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he sighed in defeat.

"Maybe it will be easier tonight since we have each other. Whenever I have nightmares, I'm usually alone. Here, give me your hands."

He flipped over to face me and extended both of his hands out. I took his hands in mine, feeling the callouses and burns from the constant rope knotting, but they were warm and comforting. I placed our right hands directly above our left hands. We laid with our faces merely inches apart, our knees inches apart as well. The only part of us that touched were our hands which we held in a firm grip.

I looked into his sea-green eyes and thought that in another lifetime, I would probably have fallen madly in love for Finnick Odair. He certainly was handsome and he had a vulnerable side to him that showed he would deeply care for anyone he chose to fall in love with. _Speaking of love..._ I still needed to figure out my feelings for Peeta. Of course I cared about him, but I didn't know if I loved him. My natural instinct was to protect. I protected my mother and sister from starving, I protected Gale from being whipped, I protected Rue and Peeta in the Hunger Games.

Somewhere in the midst of my musings, both of us fell asleep. Whenever one of us had a nightmare, we would grip the others hand tightly. With all the horrible things happening in the day, we at least could comfort each other while we slept.

I walked down the dark, winding streets of the capitol, searching for the house I was supposed to arrive at. It was chilly out, I had a deep red cloak on to keep out the cold. Though nobody else would notice, Finnick trailed far behind me, dodging from lamppost to lamppost, dark alley to dark alley, keeping a safe distance from me. Finally I arrived at a sky blue house that was common in the capitol, extravagant but uniform.

I knocked on the door tentatively and bit my bottom lip in nervousness. The door almost immediately swung open to reveal a man in his early to mid twenties with startling red hair that was spiked, neon green eyes, and gold lightning bolt tattoos covering his face and neck. He gave a smirk and motioned me inside. I made sure that he didn't lock the door.

"So, I guess I should be honored that I am the girl on fire's first client, I'm Taff. I guess I should be courteous since this is your first time doing this," he said in a voice much like Finnick's before the Quarter Quell. It held a large dose of sarcasm and a hint of mocking. He bowed to me in a gentlemanly manner, tipping his imaginary hat towards me. "Anything you want to discuss or do before we proceed?" he asked innocently, giving me a suggestive wink.

"Why not have a few drinks?" I asked. My plan was to get him as drunk as possible so maybe he would forget this whole appointment.

"That would be lovely," he smiled devilishly as he walked toward a cabinet to retrieve some alcohol.

His place was simple, he had a medium-sized kitchen tucked away in a corner, a circular table with a glittering lamp hanging overhead to serve as a dining room, a living room that had a large screen TV and a few couches, his bedroom probably laid behind a doorway that hung numerous multicolored beads, and his bathroom was down the hall. The upstairs was probably reserved for guest rooms.

He came back with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Haymitch would love this man. Taff poured our glasses full of the fiery liquid, raised his glass to me and said, "Bottoms up, love! Cheers for a good time."

He automatically chugged his drink and then reached for the bottle to fill his glass once more. I cautiously sipped at my drink, feeling the burning sensation roll down my throat and course through my veins. I detested alcohol since I got drunk with Haymitch in the Victor's Village. Keeping up appearances was more important though, so I kept drinking away, feeling slightly dizzy with every sip.

After knocking down a third drink, Taff got up somewhat clumsily and said with a slur, "We should get this show on the road, we don't have that much time together and I want to make it count."

He grabbed both my wrists after I set my glass down and pulled me towards his bedroom, ignoring my protests. When we entered the bedroom, I noticed a letter on the dresser, it had been signed and everything, except my "performance" part was still left blank. I presumed he was going to fill that out later.

Taff pressed me up against the wall, staring straight into my eyes with his neon green ones. His eyes unnerved me, they held an untamed hunger in them. He gave me an evil smirk and a suggestive wink before he started to kiss me roughly, his hand working my hair out of the tight braid it was in. I hit his chest with my hands in a desperate attempt to keep him at bay, proving unsuccessful. My attempts only led him to slip his other arm around my waist and pull me flush up against his body.

"You're mine now, girl on fire," he grunted, kissing and biting my neck. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he took his hand that was entangled in my hair and placed it around my neck, keeping my head in place. He kissed me even harder, biting and nipping at my bottom lip. His tongue forced its way into my mouth. I bite his tongue hard in the hopes he would stop. He hand on my neck only increased its pressure, starting to choke off my air supply. His hand that was around my waist started to work up my shirt along my back, sending scared shivers down my spine.

"STOP!" I screamed in desperation, "Just please stop!"

"No, I paid for you, I get to have you-" his harsh words were cut off by a loud bang that reverberated throughout the house. Suddenly, Finnick was behind Taff. Taff whirled around to face him, his hand still tightly gripping at my neck. He gave a look of pure surprise and astonishment before Finnick raised his hand and punched him square in the nose. Taff fell to the floor almost immediately, unconscious. Finnick scooped him up and dropped him on the bed, ruffing up his clothes to give the illusion that he and I had sex.

I was still leaning up against the wall, rubbing my neck where Taff had left bruises. Finnick slowly walked up to me and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Are you okay?" I gave him a look that said _do I look okay?_ He sighed and gently brushed my hair out of my face. I appreciated the comfort he gave, so I fell into his arms in tears, letting my build up of emotions out. He hugged me into his chest, rubbing my back in soothing circles, whispering, "I'm here, Katniss. You're safe, nothing can hurt you."

"I'm so mad at myself Finnick, I can't do this one stupid thing to protect the ones I love and care about. I'm so weak, so pathetic." I cried.

"Katniss, you are not weak or pathetic. You are a survivor. You are used to protecting your family, you're used to making sure the ones you love don't starve, you are used to hunting and killing animals, and humans only when necessary. Did you really expect that you would be fine being thrust into a situation where you suddenly have to be _very _intimate with people you don't even know? Of course not, you think with your head, not your heart. This reaction, this feeling is perfectly understandable, even natural for you. It doesn't make you weak, it makes you human. This is exactly how I felt, how I feel when I have to do this thing." he said with such sincerity. I looked up into his sea-green eyes and knew that he meant every single word.

"Thanks Finnick," I whispered, sniffing a couple of times which made him chuckle.

"Well, we'd best send his letter to Snow."

"But he hasn't finished it yet and I'm not too sure he would oblige to do it now."

"That's why I'm here," Finnick said, giving me a "I'm up to no good" smile.

He strolled over to the dresser where the letter was. He found the pen that Taff used to write the letter and started writing.

"What are you doing?" I whispered loudly, sure that he was ruining the letter.

"Shh, you'll find out...and there!" he said happily, holding up the letter for me to examine.

The writing in the section that Taff left blank matched perfectly to the rest of the letter. Apparently the famous Finnick Odair was also a excellent forger. The letter read in Taff's curvy letters: _Ms. Everdeen was quite the pleaser, she was cooperative and gave an excellent performance. _Seeing my astonishment on my face he said vaguely, "After practically living in the Capitol since the age of fifteen, you learn to pick up a few skills."

"Well done, Finnick, well done," I said, clearly impressed.

He bowed to me in a very animated way, saying in his best Capitol-imitation, "You are quite welcome, Ms. Everdeen, it seems the odds were in your favor tonight!"

"And I hope they are in yours, Mr. Odair!" I said in my best Capitol-imitation voice, "But we should go, I don't want you to be late for your appointment. I mean, this may be the only time I get to save Finnick Odair's butt from swooning Capitol women!"

After we dropped the letter into the a mailbox on the corner, we headed off down the street, into the dark night once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Just to let you guys know, sometimes I will not update for weeks at a time. Things are really picking up at this time of year for school and our drama performance, so I may not get as much time to write. I don't really have a specific idea as to where this story is going, so right now I'm winging it. That is usually how most of my stories are haha. All mistakes are my own. I also finished about 3/4 of this chapter in one night because I had some good old inspiration hit me. :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or any of it's characters.

I was surprised to find out that not all of the people who "bought" me always wanted to have sex. Some just wanted to see me, some wanted to brag to their friends about them getting to spend personal time with me, and some actually wanted to sit and talk with me about important matters. Not all capitol people were bad, they were just curious.

Finnick and I realized that we couldn't keep rescheduling, so we did kiss our clients for awhile until one of us came in and knocked them out. We wanted the clients to remember at least something happened between us. I still was extremely uncomfortable with having a stranger kiss and grope me. Finnick continued to forge names and send the letters to Snow and everything seemed to be running smoothly.

It wasn't until about two weeks after we arrived that we got a letter from President Snow saying that within a few days time, we would be able to see Peeta and Annie. They weren't free yet, but at least we could see them. The night we got that letter was the only night that neither of us had nightmares. Finnick and I seemed to be growing closer as friends. We were able to open up more about our nightmares and the things that haunted us daily. It was actually nice to have someone you could lean on and trust in your time of need.

I still tried to keep in contact with Prim, Gale, and Haymitch. We would send letters, which both Finnick and I were both sure were checked by Capitol officials, but most of them probably didn't get sent. The letters we did receive back were always filled with words of encouragement. Prim usually wrote about her continuing training to become a doctor and the progress of some of the patients in the hospital. She never mentioned our mother and for that I was both grateful and worried. Gale always updated me on the happenings in District 13. I was lucky if I received a letter from Haymitch not complaining about his lack of alcohol.

As we were going through our letters, I let my mind wander back to my first client meeting. I remember Finnick said something about picking up some things in the Capitol since he's been there since the age of fourteen or fifteen. _Would it hurt to ask?_ I chewed my lip in nervousness. Would this be the question that shatters our friendship? Is this too personal a question to ask him? I decided that I might as well ask.

I took a deep breath in before I asked, "Hey Finnick?"

He put down the letter he was reading from Beetee about his trident and responded, "Yeah, Katniss?"

I fiddled with my fingers before I asked carefully, "Would you...would you tell me about your life after the games? While you were in the Capitol?"

He paused for thought for a while, slowly processing what I was asking. I couldn't tell what he was feeling, he had kept his face blank, neutral. He busied himself with putting all of our letters into a box and setting it inside an empty drawer. Finnick then walked over to our little refrigerator in the corner of the room and pulled out an iced tea for me and a bottled water for him. Finally, deciding there was nothing left to do to stall, he walked back over to the bed, handed me my drink, and sat down next to me.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he said in a level tone, "I won my games at the age of fourteen. I don't want to go into the details of how I won, it's too painful. After doing all the after-games interviews and such, I went on the Victory Tour. When I was done with the tour, I went back to District Four. I had known Annie before I left for the games, we were good friends. She was the one that helped me pick up the pieces after I came back. At one point, I realized that I was in love with her, that I always had been.

"When I turned fifteen, I got a message from President Snow requesting that I go to the Capitol. I didn't know what he wanted, I thought I was being called back for another interview. When I got there, he told me that I was going to be spending a lot of time in the Capitol. He had me stay with my mother for the first couple of months until I got to go back home. We really didn't do anything in the Capitol. Snow just showed me off to all the other wealthy citizens. I wasn't until I was older did I realize they were keeping track of how I aged and grew. They were checking to see if I was going to grow up to be a 'desirable' victor. They didn't want me to start prostituting at such a young age, either. They have had young victors who were cute that they had forced to start prostituting at a young age only to find out that they didn't stay as desirable for long.

"The capitol made a law saying that victors couldn't be sold until they reached a 'suitable age'. My age was seventeen. My first auction was a private one, filled with only Snow's close companions. As I grew older, I grew more popular with the citizens. I felt disgusting. I felt that I was betraying Annie. One day, I was home with Annie when I got a call to come back to the Capitol. I refused, saying that I was tired of being sold and bought like cattle. And you know what happened?" he asked with tears in his eyes now. Throughout his whole speech, his emotions had been building up to this tearful climax.

I laid my hand comfortingly on his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I already knew the answer, I could already guess as much, but I also knew that he couldn't bring himself to say it, so I had to. I let him lay his head on my shoulder before I sighed, "Annie was reaped into her games five years after yours. She was eighteen when she was reaped. They had her reaped so you could pay for your disobedience, your refusal. I'm so sorry Fin..."

He sniffled, "Don't be Katniss. After she won her games, she went into her seclusion. Every moment that I was home I spent with her, trying to reach her, trying to draw her out of her shell. It worked every so often, sometimes I would get a small smile, sometimes even a peck on the cheek. But as soon as I was called back to the Capitol, she reverted back to her original state. I knew I couldn't refuse the Capitol twice, so I kept going back dutifully, slowly gaining scandalous secrets. It was when I was reaped for the Quarter Quell that she went almost completely mad. I still love her though, mad or not. I love her...I miss her so much it hurts!"

Finnick began to sob, holding his head in his hands as his body shook with his cries. I rubbed his back in soothing circles as he had often done to me. Finnick was always there for me, it was my turn to be there for him. I reached over towards the nightstand to grab a tissue. I nudged him gently until he raised his head and gratefully took the tissue, rubbing vigorously at his eyes as if to rub away the pain. I took his elbow and gently tugged him towards the pillows. I removed his shoes and tucked him up in bed. I went to the bathroom to wash up and when I came back out, he seemed to already be asleep.

As I climbed into the bed, Finnick automatically stretched his hands out for me to hold like we had been doing for the past couple of weeks. I gripped his hands firmly, vowing to never let go. When we did this, it was our promise to each other to protect one another in sleep. Just as my eyes had begun to droop with exhaustion, Finnick said, "Hey Katniss?"

"Yeah Fin?" I replied groggily.

"Thank you for listening, it was good to get that off my chest," he said, his sea-green eyes boring into mine.

"Anytime Fin."

~o~o~o~

I was off to another appointment with Finnick once again trailing like a shadow behind me. He always waited fifteen minutes outside the residence before he sneaked inside to check and see if I was okay. I always did the same. We had it down to a science practically: we would leave a door unlocked and would make sure that the client did not see us when we entered the house and knocked them out. We hit them hard enough to knock them out for a while, but not hard enough to leave a noticeable bump. If the client wasn't trying to have sex with us, the other would just wait it out in a nearby room or wait outside. Our plan was foolproof.

As I reached the house the appointment was supposed to be at, Finnick ducked beneath a nearby tree, practically invisible in the pale moonlight. I knocked three times at the door and waited for a good five minutes. I was about to turn to leave when a man opened the door. He was in his early to mid twenties and stood about six feet tall. He had black hair with a shock of gold going down the middle of his head. He had a few ear piercings, but other than that he seemed relatively normal compared to the other capitol citizens. He stood there awkwardly, staring at me with a mix of disbelief and shock. It wasn't until I cleared my throat that he snapped out of his revive and opened the door fully to let me in.

"My name is Zane, come," he said in a clipped voice. Wasn't the talkative type, I guess. He reminded me of Thresh, Rue's district partner, the boy of few words. _Don't think about them now, you have a job to do. Stay focused!_

I swallowed nervously as Zane led me through his small house to his bedroom. The bedroom was simple, it had a king-sized bed with a red comforter, red curtains, and an oak desk. Zane had two tall bookshelves opposite of the bed. The bed itself had a canopy that was midnight blue. The whole room seemed eerie and dark.

I didn't have much time before Zane had me pushed up against the door. His amber eyes bore into mine with an emotion I couldn't place- it was something between desperation and anger. His lips crashed hungrily into mine. His hands wandered roughly around my body, leaving disgusted shivers wherever his slimy fingers touched. He bite and nipped at my lips and grazed his teeth along my bottom lip. Eventually his tongue forced its way into my mouth, I stifled the urge to bite his tongue.

At this time in the appointment, I learned to just detach yourself from your body, to stop feeling anything. Somehow, as Zane slid his hands over my butt and grabbed it with an excessive amount of force, we were moving towards the bed. He now had me pressed up against a bedpost that held up the canopy. His lips found their way down to my neck, tracing their way to my collar bone. His hand traced the bottom of my shirt, sliding his fingers under it to touch my stomach.

"Off. Take it off. Now," he commanded in a pant, removing his hands and taking a step back.

I hesitated. _Where is Finnick?_ Zane could see my hesitation, he gave a frustrated huff, stormed his way over to me, and practically ripped my shirt off, tearing it from the hem up the seam. Now I was only left in my simple black sports bra and my pants. I hoped he wouldn't make me take those off anytime soon. He now stepped up right to me, not touching me at all, but he was mere inches away from my face. His breath was hot against my cheek. His eyes burned with greedy, hungry fire. Then, his eyes clouded over with sheer anger.

"You," he hissed, his fists clenched tight.

"What? What about me?" I asked, genuinely frightened. I backed up as far as I could go, bumping into the bedpost behind me.

"You're the one that started this whole thing. This whole _rebellion!"_ he spat. With that, he raised his hand and before I could register what he was doing, he slapped me hard across the face, snapping my head to the side.

My cheek burned as I clutched it in pain. Zane walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a length of orange rope. He stalked back over to me, snatched up both of my wrists in a death grip, and forced them above my head. He tied the rope around the bedpost so tight, my hands almost immediately began to lose circulation. I tried to loosen the rope, but I was only rewarded with rope burn and cuts.

Zane ran his hand through his hair as he paced around the room angrily. He let out a frustrated sigh before he said, "Do you know what this rebellion has done to me? It took away my sister! She ran away for your 'cause', said that she wanted to do something better with her life. She had heard about the uprising in District Eight, so she took off. She was a good healer, she was even studying to become a nurse."

_Like Prim...What have I done?_ Zane walked right up to me and shoved his hand into my throat. With pure fury in his eyes, he whispered threateningly, "And do you know what happened, hmm?" When I gave no response, he continued, "The capitol blew District Eight up. They blew up a _hospital!_ She was in that hospital, there wouldn't be any other place that she would be. Do you know how old she was? She was _fifteen!_ I lost my little sister to a rebellion that you started. And you are going to pay for that, I promise you."

All of a sudden, his fist collided with my face. I let out a groan in pain as my nose started to drip blood. Zane didn't stop there, though. He started to punch and kick every inch of me, screaming horrible words at me the whole time. His fingers gripped my hair as he slammed my head back into the bedpost multiple times. Then he gripped both of his hands tightly around my neck and started to cut off my air supply slowly. I cried out, begging me to stop, but I knew he wouldn't. He wanted me to suffer. He wanted me to feel his pain.

I couldn't help but think in the back of my mind that I deserved this. I did start the rebellion, even though it was unintetional. People died for me everyday, people died for the cause everyday. Just as I detached myself from the kissing and groping, I detached myself from the beating. With every new kick and punch, with every new horrible name thrown at me, I kept hoping that he would kill me soon. Then he would get the satisfaction and closure of killing the person that indirectly killed his sister and I would end my constant suffering.

_But what about Prim? How would she live with your death? I promised to take care of her and protect her. What about Peeta and Finnick and Haymitch and everybody else? What about the rebellion? Katniss, you can't afford to die now. If you are going to die, you are going to die for the rebellion!_

I knew I couldn't die, this was a pitiful, sad way to die. I spat out the blood in my mouth in his face and brought my knee up in between his legs hard. He doubled over in pain and I took the chance to scream as loud as I could, "Help! Finnick!". Zane hobbled back over to me as fast as his wounded private area would let him and punched me again in the face. I could already feel a bruise form on my temple. He then balled up my discarded shirt and shoved it in my mouth, silencing me.

"No one can save you now, girl on fire," Zane laughed manically.

Off in the other room, I heard a window crash. Next, Finnick sprinted in the room with surprise and worry etched upon his face. As soon as he saw me tied to the bed, beaten and bloody, his expression turned to one of pure fiery fury. Zane whipped around, surprised, and tried to throw a punch at Finnick, but he was quick and easily blocked it. Finnick jabbed Zane in the ribs, causing him to double over. Finnick then picked Zane up by the waist and slammed him down on the floor onto his back. Zane tried to get up, but Finnick kicked him down. He then wrapped his arm around Zane's neck and put him in a sleeper hold until he fell unconscious.

Finnick picked up Zane and threw him into his closet, shutting the door. He then rushed over to me and untied my restraints and gently removed my torn up shirt from my mouth. I slumped into his body, to weak and in pain to hold myself up. Finnick scooped me up gently and sat with me in his lap on the bed, rocking me gently back and forth.

"Oh Katniss, I'm so sorry! I can't believe he did that to you! Oh Katniss, I am so sorry!" Finnick cried in guilt.

"Finnick, it's okay, you don't need to be sorry," I cooed gently but weakly.

"Katniss, it is my fault! An officer came by and started asking why I was out there, I tried to get away, I did! If only I hid better, then I wouldn't have been seen and I could have stopped this and-"

"FINNICK!" I interrupted. "At least you came when you did, so thank you," I raised my hand and stroked his cheek soothingly, brushing some of his fallen hair out of his face. "Now can you take me back to the hotel? I'm a little spent." I meant it as a joke to lighten the mood.

It worked, he gave a nervous chuckle. He kissed the top of my head before he put me carefully down on the bed. He found a shirt to cover me up and keep me warm from one of the drawers. He was a little uncomfortable with putting it on me, but after it was on he took off his jacket and laid it around my shoulders. Then, he picked me up like I was a delicate flower that would break if a big enough wind came around, positioning me in his arms bridal style.

He carried me all the way back to our hotel room through the streets of the Capitol. When we got to the hotel he placed my gingerly down upon the bed. Finnick frantically searched around the bathroom for medical supplies and towels. By the time he came back out, my eyes were starting to droop with exhaustion and pain. Every part of me hurt. His green eyes studied me with worry apparent in his features. He stroked a stray piece of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

To my surprise, he started to sing. It was a comforting lullaby, one that I didn't know but wouldn't mind learning. His voice was soothing and lulled me into sleep, a sleep that beckoned me with open arms. As I drifted off into a painless sleep, I realized that I was safe. I knew that I would always be safe as long as Finnick was there. I was always going to be safe when the people I loved and trusted were there. Unfortunately, I could not say the same for them. Everywhere I went I brought destruction and pain. Why? Because that's what fire does. And the girl on fire is no exception to that.


	3. Chapter 3

_I am standing in the middle of the woods. No- I am standing in the middle of the 74th annual Hunger Games. The sky above me is cloudy- a deep stormy gray. The air feels charged, it smells of the impending rain. The wind blows in large gusts, picking up to a loud roar in my ears. My braid whips behind me, the leaves dance around me. _

_Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement, but when I look directly, nothing is there. For some unknown reason, I can't move. I am paralyzed to the spot, forced to watch the imposing storm grow and grow until it becomes a monster. Flash! There is a sudden crack of lightening right in front of me, blinding me with it's bright, white light. The answering boom of thunder throws me backward, landing on the ground with a thud. _

_Once my vision clears, I see a figure walking towards me. It has now started to pour rain. My hair sticks to my face and I am instantly soaked to the bone. Again, I cannot move. As the figure approaches, the wind picks up even more, snapping tree branches off and sending them flying in every direction, but somehow avoiding me and the lone figure. The thunder and lighting grow more frequent, more violent. _

_Another lighting flash occurs and I am blinded once again. The loud thunder crack has left a high pitch ringing in my ears. When my vision has finally cleared, the figure has materialized right in front of me. Cato. His face holds a knowing smirk. He moves closer to me, crouching by my face. He leans down- ever so slowly- and whispers in my ear, "I've finally found you, girl on fire. And do you know what I am going to do to you now that I have you?" _

_Not only have I lost my ability to move, but I have lost my ability to speak. I shake my head vigorously. I hope that I at least look strong. I hope that he- and everybody else watching- won't mistake the rain running down my face for tears. I would never give Cato the satisfaction of seeing me cry, of seeing me weak. Being weak won't help Peeta._

_Cato chuckles and brushes some of my damp hair away from my forehead. Some would have seen that as a caring gesture, but for Cato, it was a gesture of mocking. He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "I'm going to make you pay, to make you suffer for killing Clove. Your death will be long and drawn out. I'm going to put your fire out for good!"._

_He continued to brush the hair away from my face and then moved on to wiping away the rain as if they were tears. He make several "tsk tsk!" noises and cooed at me like I am a baby. "Don't cry, Katniss, it won't hurt that much. Too bad lover boy isn't here to see this. I really wanted to put on a good show for him. But hey, you do without."_

_The rains still continues to pour, but the thunder and lighting seemed to have quieted somewhat, reduced to a half-hearted flash and a low rumble. Cato still examines my face, I can practically see the wheels turning in his head, pondering which way will be the most satisfying way to kill me. Then I see a little light bulb go off in his head. He gives me an evil smirk while he chucks me under the chin playfully. _

"_You know, I bet you and lover boy have kissed a few times, but I doubt he's had any true experience with kissing girls. Let me show him to really please a girl," he says suggestively. Before I can even register what he is doing, he pushes me roughly down into the wet earth and straddles me. "How much do you want to bet that any Capitol girl would kill to be in your position right now?" he sneers. _

_My limbs, who have been unresponsive throughout this whole ordeal, have now decided to wake up. I thrash about, trying to punch at Cato and push him off of me. With all my random thrashing about, I do manage to get him in the nose with a punch. Cato leans back momentarily to check his nose for blood. Finding none, he viciously grabs both my wrists and pins them above my head. He leans in close to my face and I take the opportunity to smash my skull into his._

_The hit leaves both of us reeling for a moment, but soon Cato's head is clear and smacks me hard in the face in retaliation. "Stupid girl," he grunts. Cato takes my wrists that he pinned above my head and sits on them- much like Clove did. He places his hands firmly around my neck to stop my squirming. An evil glint flashes across his deadly blue eyes as he leans in closer and closer until his hungry lips are upon mine. I am unresponsive to the kiss, but this seems to egg him on more. He kisses me even more furiously until he has to come up for air._

"_How many sponsors will THAT get me, Katniss? Why don't you kiss back, give the audience a good show? How can you resist me? Oh how I wish Peeta was here to see this. How do you think he'd feel to know that the boy from District Two was kissing his girl? Kissing her better than he ever will?" he asks tauntingly, running his index finger along my bottom lip._

"Who would I want to kiss a stupid jock? 'How could I resist you?' Have you SMELLED yourself recently? And to be honest, you kiss like a dumb, slobbery dog. ANYONE can kiss better than you can, Cato, get over yourself. Maybe you should have practiced with Clove first- oh wait!- never mind, you can't. Such a shame, she was such a pretty girl!" I taunt back at him. It's an idiotic thing to do, but I am going to die anyway, so might as well have some fun first by toying with your killer.

_Fury explodes behind his eyes as his nostrils flare out in anger. "You ugly, stupid, little whore!" he snarls. Cato wraps his hands tightly around my throat, cutting off my air supply immediately. I can feel the blood rushing to my face, I can feel my heart beat quicken as a deep feeling of panic sets in. Cato's breathing quicken in anticipation to the kill. Stars start to enter my vision. Then, a cloud of black begins to flow over my eyesight. I am about to blackout, my lungs ready to explode, when Cato is suddenly yanked off of me._

_I have to take a few seconds to refill my lungs with much-needed oxygen before I can fully process what has happened. I see Cato laying on the ground next to me and then my visions clears even more to find Peeta standing over him. Peeta doesn't even try to hide his fury, his blue eyes staring Cato down, his hair in a wet, messy mop on his head, his cheeks flushed.. He holds a knife in his hand as he rushes over to Cato, taking a fistful of hair in his hands and dragging him away from me. Once again, my body is immobilized. _

_Peeta throws Cato to the ground, giving him an extra kick for good measure to keep him down. He weighs the knife in his hand, almost testing to see if it is good enough to kill Cato. I can see the conflict behind Peeta's eyes, I can see that he doesn't want to kill Cato, but knows he has to if he wants me to stay alive. Cato picks up on this weakness._

"_You scared to kill me? You scared to end a life? Go on, kill me! KILL ME!" he taunts, laughing manically. Cato raises himself from the ground and slowly takes a few steps towards Peeta. Peeta backs away. Cato gave an evil smirk and then dove for Peeta, slamming right into his torso, bringing him down into the mud. _

_They roll around on the ground, throwing misplaced, random punches at one another. The knife has fallen to the ground a couple of feet away from the boys. I try to scream out to Peeta to get the knife, but I can't make a sound. I watch in complete worry and horror as the two continue to fight. _

_Cato now has Peeta pinned down and starts to punch him multiple times in the face. While he is taking this beating, I can see his fingers inch over towards the knife. When Cato has his fist up in the air, ready to punch him again, Peeta swiftly brings the knife up and slashes Cato's cheek. Cato falls back, clutching his bleeding cheek. Peeta crawls back quickly and tries to swing the knife again, but Cato catches his wrist and starts to point the knife back towards Peeta. _

_Seeing that Peeta will not let go of the knife, Cato bites his hand until the knife drops out of his hand. Then he pounces on Peeta again, pinning him to the ground. Cato raises the knife slowly- ever so slowly- and then brings it down, slashing a large wound from Peeta's temple down to his chin. Peeta screams out in agony while Cato hollers with glee. He continues to make small cuts around Peeta's face. While he is cutting up Peeta's face, Cato yells over to me, "This is exactly what I'm going to do to you, girl on fire, after I'm done with him! Enjoy your last moments together while you can!"_

_Cato, deciding that he had had his fun with Peeta, takes the knife and slowly cut open Peeta's neck, killing him. The blood- oh God the **blood!**- spews everywhere. It covers Peeta's face and neck completely. It pools into a massive puddle beneath him, mixing in with the mud and grass. The rain cleans the fresh flowing blood off of most of his face. My district partner, the boy I cared deeply for, is now just a bloody body. He is gone. Off in the distance, I hear his cannon shot to confirm he is dead. Some would mistake it to be thunder, but I know that it is his cannon._

_Somehow, my voice returns to me and all I can scream was one word: Peeta. As Cato waltz up to me, knife in hand- dripping blood, Peeta's blood- an evil smile on his face, I cry out in a raspy voice, "You bloody bastard! You killed him! No! Peeta! NO! YOU KILLED HIM!" _

"_Yes I did, Katniss, and I am going to do the exact same thing to you. So you shouldn't worry, you'll be with lover boy in no time," he coos evilly. Oh how I despise this boy. Cato drops to his knees beside my head, takes a handful of my hair, and yanks my head back to expose my neck. I looked him straight in the eye. No weakness. I will not close my eyes when he kills me. I will not cry. _

"_Tell lover boy I said 'Hi'," he whispers as he laid the knife's point on my jugular vein and slid the knife quickly across my neck._

~o~o~o~

"PEETA! PEETA! NO!" I screamed, jolting up in bed as I awoke from the nightmare. _Oh gosh, Peeta is dead! _The next thing I was aware of was the intense, jarring pain I felt all over my body. I kept screaming, both from the nightmare and the pain.

"Katniss? Katniss! Katniss, stop! You're fine, you're okay!" I hear someone say. I can't seem to register who the voice belongs to. I feel strong arms wrap around my body, but I continue to thrash about wildly. Slowly I begin to realize that the arms around me aren't trying to hurt me, but to comfort me. That is what I need, comfort. I need something solid, something strong to hold me down, to keep me sane. I need intimacy.

My eyes are still closed tightly shut, afraid of what I will see. My hand finds a face, a smooth, sculpted face. _Peeta's? It must be_. I need something to bring me back to reality. Suddenly I lean up and press my lips to Peeta's. At first I think he is shocked that I am kissing him, heck I'm even shocked, but he slowly starts to kiss back. His lips are soft, gentle. My hand runs through his smooth hair while his hand cups my face. His lips melt perfectly into mine, almost making me forget my nightmare, almost making me forget the pain.

I open my eyes, but I am surprised to find bronze-colored hair instead of Peeta's blond hair. The eyes that look back at me aren't blue, but a beautiful sea-green. I gasp as I break the kiss, realizing that I had been kissing Finnick Odair instead of Peeta Mellark.

"Finn- Finnick! I'm so sorry! I thought you were Peeta! Oh gosh, I am so confused!" I frantically say. Finnick holds up a finger to stop my apology and says, "Katniss, it's fine. You were scared and confused and hurt."

"No Finnick, I really am sorry. I just needed to do something to make me forget all the pain and the nightmares. I thought you were Peeta, I would have never done that if I knew it was you."

"Katniss...maybe we both need to try to forget just for a little while. Maybe for tonight, you can forget that my eyes are blue instead of green and I can forget that your eyes are green instead of gray," he whispers, playing with my braid.

"No. We shouldn't pretend that we are someone we're not. That's unfair to both us and to Peeta and Annie. They deserve more than that..." I whisper back, averting my gaze from his own.

Finnick sighs, "You're right. I need to check your bandages and your wounds. I managed to stop your nose from bleeding and reduce some of the swelling around it, but I need to look at the rest of your body. I felt uncomfortable doing it while you were knocked out, so...".

I looked down at my body, surprised to see so many bruises covering my arms. Finnick held up a mirror to my face and I gasped. My face was puffy and swollen. Both of my eyes were blue with bruises, and more bruises covered my cheeks and temples. My nose still had some blood surrounding it, but it was dry and crusted. As I examined my body, I grew more aware of the pain all over. It was numbed, so I assumed Finnick had given me some kind of pain killer.

Finnick coughed awkwardly and gestured to my shirt. I tried to get it off, but my body screamed in protest. Finnick sat on the edge of the bed and lifted the shirt to expose my stomach, which was covered in multiple blue, black, and green bruises and multiple cuts and abrasions. He gently brushed his fingers over my stomach, causing a shock of pain. I hissed, trying to hide the pain, but he withdrew his hand immediately. He walked over to the freezer and retrieved a few ice packs. He draped a towel across my stomach and set the ice packs wherever the bruising was the worst.

Finnick went back to the refrigerator and brought back a bowl of chicken soup. He sat down next to me, took the spoon in the bowl and raised it to my mouth. "Eat," he said, "You haven't had anything to drink or eat since yesterday. Some food will do you good."

I let him feed me the soup, savoring the flavors. After I had eaten most of the soup, he set the bowl on the nightstand and removed the ice packs from my stomach. I gave him a questioning look for which he responded, "I need to look at your back. Do you think you could roll over?"

I tried to roll over, but again my body screamed at me in protest. I shook my head to both tell him that I couldn't roll over and to shake away the tears. Finnick placed his hands delicately on my waist and shoulder and whispered regretfully, "This might hurt a little."

He pushed me as gently as possible up onto my side where he could see my back. I cried out in pain as my sore and stiff body was moved. It felt like there were knives plunging into every part of me that moved. Finnick gently rolled up the shirt to see my back. His fingers were like feathers dancing across my back and spine, but they still brought a pricking pain wherever they touched.

"J-just take the whole shirt off. Whenever you move it, it hurts so bad!" I gasped out. I was almost in tears, my body hurt so much.

"O-okay. Your back seems to have taken less of a beating, so let me roll you back over and sit you up so I can take it off," he stutters, obviously flustered at the sight of me in pain.

He tugs my shirt back down and gently rolled me back over. He let me grip his hand as he sat me up. I let out a few grunts in pain but kept myself from crying out. Finnick swiftly took off the light blue cotton t-shirt that he had taken from Zane's house to cover me, leaving me in my black sports bra. Even though I was well covered, I still blushed and so did Finnick. He checked over my injuries one more time, reapplying the ice, and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You want to talk about your nightmare?" he asked, studying my face, brushing some loose hair back behind my ear.

"You want to talk about yours?" I countered, quirking my eyebrow.

"Got me there, Everdeen. Get some sleep, you need to heal."

"Okay...and Finnick?" I asked shyly.

"Yeah, Katniss?"

"Thank you."

He pauses for awhile and then gives me a sincere smile. He leans down and places a gentle kiss on my cheek and says, "Anytime."

**A/N: The second part of this chapter really kicked my butt. I hope you guys understand why she kissed him, I feel like that part is a little confusing. I was trying to convey that she needed to forget what has happened to her, and I feel that when she kisses Peeta, that is one of the ways she tries to forget. I hoped you enjoyed! And I also hope you understood why I put the dream in present tense. All mistakes are my own. Thank you to everyone who favorited, story-alerted, and reviewed! You all are the best!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or its characters.**

Over the next week, my injuries healed and my bruises faded. With a little make up, I looked presentable. Finnick and I didn't have any appointments over the week because Finnick called the Peacekeepers and explained what had happened to me. Zane was arrested and probably turned into an Avox. Even though he beat me up, I didn't want him to be turned into an Avox, he was just an angry and confused kid who needed someone to blame.

Finnick and I were eating breakfast when we heard a loud knock at the door. We exchanged looks before Finnick got up to answer the door. Four Peacekeepers stood outside the door. They marched into the room as soon as the door opened and stood facing Finnick and me. The Peacekeeper, who I assumed to be in charge, stepped up and said abruptly, "Come with us. President Snow requests that you come to his mansion immediately."

Without a second to even open our mouths to reply, we were whisked away down the hall and out of the hotel. They weren't too gentle, my still-sore arms screamed in protest when one of the Peacekeepers grabbed me to lead us away. "Hey, be careful, she's still hurt!" Finnick warned. The peacekeeper glared at him and poked him in the back with his gun to move him along. We entered a hovercraft and within seconds we were inside the President's mansion.

Once we exited the hovercraft, the same Peacekeepers lead us into a conference room and left us in there alone. The room was large and dome-shaped. Its walls and floor were white and its walls were decorated with pictures and paintings of roses. A large, rectangular, mahogany table stood in the middle of the room with at least fifty chairs surrounding it. The whole room smelled sterile, like a hospital. I looked over towards Finnick and gave him a questioning look.

I was just about to say something when a hidden door opened and President Snow entered. He sat down at the head of the table and gestured for us to sit as well. Once we sat, he greeted us, "Hello there, Mr. Odair and Ms. Everdeen. I hope your stay in the Capitol has been satisfactory. I am sorry that one of your appointments went wrong, Ms. Everdeen, but the rest of your appointments seem to have gone quite nicely, judging by how your clients rated your performance. Thank you, Mr. Odair, for reporting the suspect and treating Ms. Everdeen, you've done a fine job, her bruises are almost completely unrecognizable."

"Thank you, sir" Finnick said formally.

"President Snow, um, when will we be able to see Annie and Peeta?" I asked tentatively. Snow gave a smirk before he said, "In all good time, but I wanted to talk to you about something first."

"Which is?" Finnick asked speculatively.

"Even with you both here in the Capitol, there seems to still be some rebelling in the districts. I want this fixed immediately. It seems that the citizens don't know that you have been selling yourselves, but I don't want to publicly announce it, that would be too obvious. When you go to your next appointments, be more open, be noticed, let them know what you are doing. I want you to go on dates with your clients in public places. I want the rebels to feel disgusted by you and stop fighting for this cause," Snow explained.

Both Finnick and I gulped. Stay in the Capitol? Be more obvious? Go on public dates with out clients? Weakly, I replied, "Yes sir. May we go see Peeta and Annie now?" Snow examined me for a second and then called his peacekeepers in. "Take them to the holding cells. They have thirty minutes to be with the prisoners." With that, Snow stood up and left through the same hidden door where he came in. Two peacekeepers took us into another hidden doorway and led us down a brightly lit hallway. We stopped outside a metal door with a keypad lock in front of it. A peacekeeper punched in a series of numbers and then the door slid open, revealing a room with two adjacent glass cells in it. In one was Annie, the other Peeta.

Finnick rushed over to Annie's cell while I rushed over to Peeta's. He was crouched in the corner, facing away from the door. "Peeta?" I called out softly, "Peeta, it's me, Katniss." He twitched at the mention of my name, then slowly turned towards me. His body was covered in bruises and cuts, but what surprised me the most was how cold and dark his eyes were. This was not my Peeta.

"Peeta?" I asked again, tentatively. His expression grew clouded with anger, but it looked as if he were fighting something off. His hands kept twitching as if he wanted to strike out at something, but kept resisting the urge to. He stood rooted to the spot, just staring at me.

A peacekeeper unlocked both of the cells and then left the room, locking it. I heard Finnick quickly open Annie's cell and dove into her arms, embracing her in a loving hug. I turned back towards Peeta's cell and opened it, seeing that he seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. I walked carefully inside and shut the door behind me. When I turned back around, I was surprised to find Peeta standing right in front of me at an arm's length away. He had a tortured look in his eyes.

"Katniss...?" he asked disbelievingly, hand stretched out as if to touch my hair.

"Yes, Peeta, it's me," I said, tears forming in my eyes.

He embraced me in a lung-crushing hug, but I hugged him back just as hard. His breathing was heavy in my ear, his hands were cold and clammy.

"Katniss, you have to listen to me," he insisted, pulling back from the hug, still holding onto my shoulders.

"I'm listening," I replied.

"I...I'm not so sure you are safe around me anymore. They...they have been injecting me with this...this poison, this venom. I think it comes from tracker jackers. They inject this stuff into me and it makes me have these nightmares. They are trying to make me think that you are evil. They are trying to alter my mind to make me hate you. I have it under control now, but Katniss, it will only get worse," he stammered, fear and pleading in his eyes.

"You are going to be fine, Peeta, I promise-" I started.

"No! No, I won't be fine! I don't want to hurt you Katniss..." he pulled me into another lung-crushing hug.

I hugged him back as I whispered, "Oh Peeta..."

He pulled back and grabbed my arms tightly, "You have to promise me that if I get worse, you have to stay away from me. Your safety is the most important thing to me. Promise?"

I hesitated, looking up into his sweet eyes. I bit my lip and then said, "I promise. But that won't stop me from getting you out of here. You will get out of here, I promise."

He shook his head disbelievingly. We both looked over to see Finnick and Annie still in a loving embrace. Peeta smiled at this and chuckled, "They look happy to see each other."

"No kidding," I smirked, "He's been practically torn apart with her gone. Same with me..."

"Really?" he asked, turning back to face me.

"Yeah, I've been having nightmares about losing you, I can barely live with it..."

Peeta looked at me with sadness in his eyes as he pulled me into a loving hug and kissed the top of my head.

All of a sudden, a large group of peacekeepers burst in through the door and surround Peeta, Finnick, Annie, and me. They roughly pull us apart, their arms looping around my waist and arms. Peeta tried desperately to fight them off, but there were too many.

"Katniss, whatever you do, save yourself! Don't let them inject you with anything!" Peeta yelled at me. His yelling stopped abruptly when a peacekeeper shocked him with something that looked like nightstick, making him fall unconscious.

"PEETA, NO!" I screamed desperately, fighting to run towards him, but the peacekeepers were too strong. I felt something press against my neck and a bolt of electricity jolted through me. The pain was so intense that I gave a blood-curdling scream before everything went black.

When I woke up, I was lying face with my cheek pressed into the cold cement. I raised my head slowly, it still was pounding with intense pain. I looked around to find Finnick to my right, Peeta to my left, and Annie on the other side of Finnick, all in a line. Our hands were bound behind our backs with rope. The others were starting to awaken when a group of Peacekeepers walked in with President Snow following behind them.

"Well well, look who just woke up!" President Snow chirped as he walked over to us and stood directly in front of me.

I could see his pristine, shiny black shoes. I had the urge to spit on them, but I stifled it. Snow made an "ahem" noise to get my attention, but I fixed my gaze on his shoes, refusing to meet his eyes.

"You know, Katniss dear, it is polite to look your host in the eye," Snow said with a hint of a threat.

I still refused to raise my head. "You don't deserve to be looked in the eye," I retorted. Stupid thing to do, but I was being rash and stupid.

He sighed, snapped his fingers, and said, "Guards!"

A guard came up behind me, dug his fingers into my hair and jerked it up so that I was sitting up fully. I still tried to divert me eyes, but then he pressed his nightstick against my throat. I raised my eyes to meet Snow's snake-like ones. His cold eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

"There, isn't that better?" he clucked, "Now, down to business. I've recently been informed that you have not been holding up your end of the bargain. I've heard that you haven't been fulfilling your duties in your appointments."

My breathing quickened in terror, my eyes widened in fear. "Who told you these _lies?_" I asked.

"Oh, I have my ways. I had some peacekeepers go to each of your clients to interview them. Funny how they all have no recollection of doing anything with you. The only thing they remember is meeting you, sharing a few kisses with you, and then nothing. We examined them and found that most of them had bruises on their heads from blunt force trauma," he shot a look over to Finnick who sat there emotionless. He coughed and continued, "Such an odd anomaly to find in all of them. Care to explain?"

I gave no answer, which he expected, and said, "I didn't think so. Well your friend Taff sure did help with our investigation. After he recovered from his injuries, his memory of that night came back. He was more than willing to help with our investigation." He smiled evilly and started to pace around the cell room, the heels of shoes clacking against the hard floor.

"So this is what we are going to do, Ms. Everdeen. Either you agree to do your job correctly or I kill our dear friends Mr. Mellark and Ms. Cresta. If you choose the first option, you and your friends will stay here until I deem that you have completed your job. If you choose the second option, I will kill your friends and send you and Mr. Odair back to District 13. What is your choice, Ms. Everdeen?"

I stared up at him in shock, I couldn't believe that he found out, that Taff told him everything. "I will only agree to the first option _if_ you let Finnick, Annie, and Peeta go back to District 13. I will stay here."

"Katniss, no!" Annie cried out. A guard nearby her kicked her to keep her quiet, Finnick growled at him.

"It isn't up for negotiation Ms. Everdeen," Snow threatened.

"Please...I'm begging you..." I said weakly, I hated to beg, but it was my only option.

Snow paused, contemplating the pros and cons of what I was asking. "Fine, Ms. Everdeen, I'll let your friends go home. Take them away."

"Katniss no! I want to stay with her!" Peeta yelled as he was being dragged away.

"Peeta, please, you've been in here too long," I whispered, holding back tears.

"I don't want to lose you!"

"I'll be fine, don't worry," I smiled weakly, hoping to come off as brave.

The guards had taken Annie and Peeta away and were coming back for Finnick when he said, "I want to stay here with her."

"Finnick!" I protested.

"Katniss, I am staying with you!" he looked up at Snow for approval. Snow nodded.

"Step one foot out of line, you two, and your friends are dead. I will be holding them for a undisclosed amount of time until I am convinced that you will do your jobs correctly. Guards will accompany on all of your dates and appointments. No more of this breaking in and saving the day," he shot another death glare at Finnick, "I would be very careful of how you conduct these appointments. If you don't follow through with your end of the bargain, trust me, you will pay for the consequences."

He and the peacekeepers left, leaving us in the cell alone. Once I heard all their footsteps fade, I broke down and weeped.

**A/N: So, I'm pretty sure you all hate me now. I really am sorry that I haven't updated for such a long time, but I warned you! I had a lot of exams and tests right at the end of school that had me busy studying for awhile. School's out now, so the updates should be a little more frequent. Please tell me what you think of the story! All mistakes are my own.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of its characters.**

I continued to cry for quite a while. At one point, Finnick had gotten out of his bonds and untied mine. He held me comfortingly, whispering sweet nothings into my ear. I was scared. Who wouldn't be? I had to fulfill my duties. Finnick wouldn't be there to protect me anymore. I had to go all the way through with the appointments. How did Finnick ever do this on his own?

"Katniss..." he whispered, "Listen to me. My offer still stands if you want to take it."

I raised my head slowly, looking up into his eyes. I smiled weakly and said, "Thanks, but I can't accept that offer. You didn't have that luxury. I shouldn't either. I deserve this."

"What? Katniss, stop beating yourself down. You don't deserve any of this!"

"Then what do I deserve Finnick?" I asked, irritated.

"You deserve to be treated like a human being with a choice. Not like a piece of meat."

"That's all I am now, Finnick. That's all Snow wants me to be. I'm his puppet whether I like it or not."

"Katniss...how can I make you understand?" he pleaded.

"You can't," I turned away from him, hugging my knees close to me. Finnick sighed and began to tie knots with the rope that used to bind his hands.

After about an hour, we heard the door to the room open. A peacekeeper walked up to our glass cell and said stiffly, "You both have an appointment this evening. Your prep team has arrived to make you suitable for the occasion." Finnick and I exchanged confused glances. With that the peacekeeper turned and walked away. Five minutes later, Finnick's prep team came in and took him into another room.

I waited for another five minutes before the cell opened and Cinna stood before me. My mouth dropped open in shock, I was at a loss for words. He wore a simple black shirt and pants. His eyes did not have gold eyeliner around them, tough. He looked tired. Cinna gave me a small smile and held his arms open. I immediately ran into them and hugged him as tight as I could.

"Oh Cinna, I thought you were dead!" I cried, hugging him even closer to me.

He gave a soft chuckle and said, "No, I'm not dead. After the Quarter Quell began, they had me locked up here. I'm just so glad to see you again. I've missed my Girl on Fire." he smiled, took both of my hands in his, and kissed both of my cheeks, "Now let's get you ready for your appointment."

Cinna led me out of the cell to an adjacent room where there were racks filled with a multitude of clothes. Off to the left was a bathroom. On the other side of the room was a makeup station. I went off to go shower while Cinna readied my outfit. When I came out, he immediately dried my hair and plucked my eyebrows. He then curled my hair, letting it fall over my shoulders in soft curls. He pulled my bangs and some of the top of my hair and gathered it at the back of my head, pinning it with a silver rose hair clip.

His expert hands flew across my face as he did my make up. When I looked in the mirror again, I was radiant, stunning even. My eyes smoldered, my lashes were long and luxurious. My lips were a bright, fiery red. Cinna had me close my eyes while I stepped into the dress. When I opened them again, I stood in a masterpiece. They dress was a tight crisscross halter dress with a flowing bottom. The dress was midnight blue on top, but at the knees it faded from red, to orange, then to yellow at the bottom. The dress was sparkly and looked like the night sky turning into the dawn. It was spectacular.

"Oh Cinna, it's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"And so are you, my Girl on Fire," he said, looking at me in the mirror. He adjusted my hair and gave me a blue clutch the same color as my dress. "Good luck, Katniss," he whispered before he led me back to the holding room where Finnick was waiting. He wore a dark blue suit that matched my dress with a red waistcoat and a black tie. On his lapel was a white rose.

We were escorted to a hovercraft and then taken to the Capitol Square. Finnick looped his arm through mine as we entered a five-star restaurant to meet our dates. We were seated in the secluded in-door garden where only a few, high-priority citizens were allowed to eat. The garden was surrounded by rose bushes and in the middle was an extravagant fountain with the Capitol's symbol perched at the top.

Taff and Finnick's date arrived shortly after we were seated. Finnick's date was a thin, frail woman who looked like a china doll. Her long blond hair was swept up into a high bun. Her skin was as pale as milk. Her lips were a bright purple and in the shape of a heart. Her eyes were freakishly large and a bright violet. She wore a bright blue and pink stripped mermaid gown.

Taff wore a neon green suit that matched the color of his eyes. His bright red hair was still spiked. His golden tattoos seemed brighter than the last time I saw them. When Taff saw me, he winked suggestively and sat down beside me. His hand immediately went to my knee and squeezed it. Finnick saw this and gave him a death glare. Taff smirked and slid his hand up my thigh. He knew Finnick couldn't do anything to him. Finnick grew even more angered and kicked Taff underneath the table. He snapped his hand back instantly.

"Nice to meet you again, Ms. Everdeen, long time no see. I can't wait for later," Taff whispered suggestively into my ear, his hot breath tickling my neck. I sat there stiffly and replied, "I had rather hoped to never see you again, Taff. I'm sorry to say that I don't share the same excitement as you do about later."

"Oh, don't be mean, my dear Katniss. You should be excited, what happens later will be amazing. You won't ever forget it," he said back, kissing my cheek before he leaned back in his chair. Finnick looked about ready to leap across the table and kill him. Surely he had heard our little conversation. I could practically see Finnick killing Taff a hundred ways in his head.

Dinner was filled with polite conversation. Finnick's date, Lilac, was a rich citizen and also a famous artist. She recreated famous killings in the games and made statues of them. She said that she was working on the statue of Cato's death. In it there would be the mutts surrounding him, my arrow in his head with me close by, my bow drawn. She said that it was going to be an amazing statue. She also made a statue of Foxface with the berries in her hand. That piece was called "The Outfoxed Fox". That whole conversation made me want to puke and brought back too many terrible memories. Nightmares were sure to visit me tonight.

After dinner was over, we went on a walk around the block. Taff had his arm around my waist as we walked. Capitol citizens stopped us to take pictures. I smiled because I knew if I didn't, there was going to be some sort of punishment. Taff even went as far as kissing me for the photos. The citizens went wild for that. Once the pictures were over with, two peacekeepers escorted us back to Taff's house.

The peacekeepers left us alone in his house. Taff turned to me with a wicked smile on his face. "Should we pick up from where we last left off, my dear?" he asked, very sickly-sweetly.

"You're disgusting, you slimy piece of-" I growled at him.

"Ah ah! That's no way to speak to your date," he cut me off, "but I will forgive you. Did I tell you how ravishing you look in that dress? Mmm. You look delicious," his fingers trailed across my shoulders. He stopped in front of me, raised his eyebrow, and asked, "How about a dance, my lovely lady?" He turned on some slow, soft playing music.

I scoffed, "In your dreams."

"Oh? I would comply, my darling. I could always let it slip to President Snow how uncooperative you were. It would be a shame, seeing you or your friends get punished for such a silly thing. Just do as I say and everything will be fine," he winked and pulled me close.

He put one hand on my waist and the other in my hand. My other hand he put on his shoulder. He started to sway and I followed reluctantly. I could smell his terrible cologne. I thought of how much I hated him. How he was so greasy and slimy and terrible. His neon green eyes stared into my gray ones, challenging me.

The hand that was on my waist started to lower slowly, headed towards my butt. I glared at him and he smirked back at me. He leaned closer to me, his lips just mere centimeters from mine. I turned my head away as he brought his lips closer, kissing my cheek instead of my lips. He grunted in disapproval.

"Katniss..." he warned, a hint of a growl in his voice.

I looked back towards him, his eyes now holding a hint of anger in them. Our dance continued, his hand now resting on my butt. He pulled me even closer, my body flush against his. He kissed me, almost sweetly at first, but then he grew more aggressive. His tongue forced entry into my mouth, overpowering mine in their own tiny dance. I pushed away roughly, stepping away from him. He chuckled and said, "Let's not have a repeat of last time. You have to go through with this. Accept your fate, Katniss. Trust me, this night will be enjoyable for you, I've been told I'm good in bed."

I shook my head frantically. "I... I need to clear my head," I gasped as I ran to an extra room and locked the door.

"I'll be having a few drinks in the meantime, my lovely! If you aren't out in half an hour, I am dragging you out," Taff yelled through the door. I heard the clinking of glass a minute later.

I stood in what I presumed to be the guest room. The room was relatively small and normal looking. It had large french windows, a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, and a mahogany wardrobe. The bed had a green comforter on it. The walls were a plain white. I sank down onto the bed in defeat.

_What am I going to do? How can I go through with this? I can't have my first time with Taff! I should have taken Finnick up on his offer. How stupid I was being! _I didn't know how long I sat there deep within my thoughts when I suddenly heard a tap on the window. At first I had thought that I had imagined it. Then I heard it again. I cautiously got up and walked over to the window. Outside was a figure throwing rocks up at the window. When they saw me, they waved frantically for me to open the window.

I opened the window and they climbed up. The figure wore all black and had a mask covering their face. They were slight in build and around my height. Once they were through the window, I quickly shut it and asked, "What are you doing? Who are you?"

The figure stood there, looking at me. Then, slowly, they removed their mask. It was the Avox girl. Her red locks were now brown. She saw the shocked, questioning look in my eyes and held up a hand. She took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me. On the piece of paper was her neat writing.

_Katniss:_

_I know that you are shocked to see me. President Snow had me imprisoned after the Quarter Quell began. I escaped recently and have been hiding in the Capitol with a lady named Tigris. If you should ever need assistance, she can be trusted. I had heard through the guard's conversations what you were being forced to do. Before I escaped, I had heard that you were caught and were now being forced to submit yourself fully to your clients. I am here to help you. Let me take your place. We look enough alike especially after Tigris dyed my hair. When you go to your client's house, let me in through a door or a window. Get them drunk enough so where they can't be able to tell that it's not you. Then we can switch clothes and I'll go back to your client to finish the job. When the deed is done I will switch clothes with you again and leave the way I came. That way, your virtue is still upheld and your clients get what they want. Please do not protest, I was already forced to do this before, but now I have a good cause to fight for. Please let me do this. This is the only way I can help. _

_~Veronica _

I set the note down on a beside table and turned back to her and whispered, "No, you can't do this." She grabbed my arm forcefully and gave me a stern, no-nonsense look. I sighed in defeat and whispered, "Fine, but I don't like this at all. What about your tongue? Won't they notice that you don't have one?"

In reply, she opened her mouth and pointed a finger inside. Where I expected to be a cut out tongue was fake tongue. It wasn't the same color as a regular tongue, it was too pink, too bright. It looked like it could be like Peeta's leg, a robotic replacement. As I thought this, the tongue began to move. Veronica closed her mouth and smiled. She gestured toward my dress. I began to undress while she began to take off her clothes as well. We switched clothes hurriedly. She looked beautiful in my gown.

I sat down on the bed silently as she gave me a kiss on the cheek. She waved at me as she slipped out the door. I sighed and buried my face in my hands. _How could I let her do this? Would this plan even work? _The only thing I could do now was wait there and hope for the best.

**AN: I am really sorry that this took so long to get out. Recently, my laptop has crashed, destroying everything I had on it, including all my documents. Then we had some pretty bad storms that took out my power for a few days, leaving me stranded in terms of writing. I really hoped you enjoyed this. I am discovering this story as I write it, I'm not sure where this will go. I've been thinking of doing some things with the characters (some of which you will hate me for). Sorry to be vague. Also, realizing that I had almost completely forgotten that Johanna was in the Capitol too, she will make an appearance! Looking forward to that. I also brought back Cinna! Yay! I really loved him, I could not believe he had died. That made me so mad! Anyway, please find it in your heart to review, it makes me so happy to hear feedback from you all! And if anyone is interested in being my beta, PM me! I hate how I re-read a chapter after I posted it and find mistakes, it drives me crazy. Oh, I have no idea what I am going to do for Finnick and Katniss's relationship, it will all depend on how the story plays itself out. Thanks again for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Um...hi? Sorry I went missing for months, there really is no excuse for it. I honestly lost interest in the story, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know where I wanted it to go. I really am sorry, but I did notice that people subscribed to the story even though I haven't posted in forever. So this chapter is for the newly subscribed and for the ones who have stuck with this story from the beginning! **

I was surprised. Very surprised. Hopeful, even. The plan was actually working. Veronica and I had been going through with this plan successfully for weeks with little to no problems. Finnick did still look as though he was ready to kill each and every one of my dates. He was taking this whole ordeal pretty well, but I didn't tell him what I was doing with Veronica, the less people who knew the better.

President Snow started to give us small freedoms, we could walk outside of our cells to the gardens as long as we were escorted by a guard,though I didn't want to be around those horrid roses. We still could not see Peeta, Annie, or Johanna, even though it had been almost three weeks. I was worried about them, if they were safe and healthy. In the back of my mind, I wondered if they were still hijacking Peeta.

I was sitting in my cell, tying complicated and intricate knots that Finnick taught me when I heard the sound of my cell opening. I looked up as a guard entered, "Everdeen, you have a visitor." With that, he shoved none other than Johanna Mason into my cell. She looked clean enough, her hair had grown out, she had bags under her eyes, but she still had her superior smirk. She sauntered over to where I was sitting and placed a hand on her hip.

"Fancy seeing you here, girl on fire. But I shouldn't be surprised, wherever your boyfriend, oh pardon me, _fiance, _is, you are close behind," she had taken a seat and started nonchalantly picking at her nails, "But where are my manners? How have you been, Katniss?" she asked in a sarcastic, overly-sweet tone.

I rolled my eyes at her, "Cut the crap. Why did you really want to see me?"

She sighed and looked around the cell warily. She pulled me close and lowered her voice, "I know what you've been doing, what you've _really _been doing on your dates. Just remember this, I know almost everything. I know the people you see, I know where the money goes. Be careful, Katniss. If you play with fire, you're going to get burned."

I actually started to laugh, causing Johanna much confusion. "Cryptic much, Johanna? I can handle myself, thank you very much. If I remember correctly, it was Finnick and I who came to help you guys, not the other way around." I said. I know I sounded like a stuck-up brat, but Johanna needed to understand that I had everything under control.

Johanna just smiled, "I'm sure you can." She grabbed an extra piece of rope that was next to me and started to fiddle with it, grew exasperated, and threw it back down. "I don't know how you and fish boy do that." I just smirked and kept tying my knot. "Aren't you curious as to how Peeta is doing? Or have you already forgotten about him?"

My eyes snapped up at her, furious. "Of course I am worried about how he is doing!" She scoffed, "Doesn't seem like it to me." I snapped. I dropped my rope and smacked her across the face. She just chuckled, like she knew that was going to happen.

"Oh, I found it," Johanna smirked.

"And what was it that you 'found'?" I asked, seething at her.

"What makes you tick. I knew it wouldn't be too hard to find. After all, you are an open book."

I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees and looked at Johanna seriously, "How is he doing? The last time I saw him, he said that they were hijacking him, whatever that means..."

Johanna sighed and rubbed her eyes, like she had just aged about twenty years. She coughed before she said, "He's not doing well, they are injecting tracker-jacker venom into him to give him hallucinations about...well, about you. He thinks that you are out to get him, to kill him, he already thinks that you killed his family. He wants to kill you. It's not looking good for him, Katniss."

I stare at her in shock. I feel tears start to form, but I try to choke them back. _Don't be weak! You have to be strong for Peeta! _The urge to sob kept coming and I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to stop any sounds from escaping. Johanna looks at me with a cross between pity and annoyance, and I hate it. I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking her out. She shouldn't pity me, I should have been the one who was captured! She shouldn't be annoyed with me, I've had to sacrifice a lot to come this far in their rescue- if you could even call it that. I wish that I had died and Peeta had lived so that he wouldn't have to go through this.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even hear Finnick enter the room. When I open my eyes again, Finnick is sitting where Johanna once sat and she was being escorted out of the room and back to her cell by a guard. Finnick doesn't say a word, he simply watches me with a concerned gaze. I choke down my tears, clear my throat, and look up at him. "Fancy seeing you here," I say, trying to sound confident. He simply shook his head and pulled a piece of rope out of his pocket and began to tie knots.

He didn't say anything for a good ten to twenty minutes as he tied knots in the rope. After awhile, he said, "I know how you feel, and I'm sorry you have to go through this. Peeta will be okay, we'll figure out a way to set him straight again, I promise."

I sniffed, cursing at myself in my head for sounding weak, "How can you be so sure?"

Finnick gives a genuine smile before stating with such finality that I can't help but be assured, "Because he's Peeta, and he loves you, even if he doesn't think so now. He will find a way, with help of course, to heal and be with you. It may take time and it may take some hard work, but I have faith in him and you. He will get better."

I give Finnick a teary-eyed smile and whisper, "Thank you, for everything. I'm sorry you had to go through all of this with me."

He sends me a sad smile, "I've already been through it, with Annie. It's going to be hard, but he will get better. Annie and I will be with you along the way."

I looked at him curiously, "You must really love Annie, to stick with her like that. Most people would have given up, most people did."

He chuckled slightly, "I'm not most people, in more ways than one. I do love her, but it's hard to describe. I love her like a sister, a friend. I've always felt like I needed to protect her, like it was my responsibility. She deserves to be safe," He paused for a moment, thinking, then asked, "How do you feel about Peeta?"

I dropped my gaze down to the rope I was holding. _What do I say? I'm not even sure how I feel! _I took a deep breath, still keeping my eyes downcast, "I'm not exactly sure. I mean, I care about him and he's important to me, but... I don't know how I feel about him. I feel like I should love him, like it's my obligation, and I want him to be happy."

Finnick sat forward, looking serious, and said, "My mother always said that love should feel like a privilege, like you can only see yourself with this person, but you feel amazed that you are with them, blessed you are with them. It shouldn't feel like an obligation, that's not love, it's not a job you have to complete." He sat back and continued the knot he had been working on. I sighed, stood up, and hugged him. He was surprised at first but then returned the hug. I pulled back and smiled at him, whispering, "Thank you, for everything."

He smirked and winked, "No problem, girl on fire, just say the word and I'll be happy to help again." He stood up, ruffled my hair a bit, then turned and left my cell. I reclined against the wall, a million thoughts running through my head. Did I really love Peeta? How would I know if I did love him? I shook my head, _why am I thinking such petty thoughts? I have more important issues to deal with than my love life, or lack there of. _I sighed exasperatedly, rubbing my eyes. I tucked into my bed, hoping that the next few days will bring answers that I desire, hoping they would bring the freedom that Annie, Johanna, and Peeta deserve.

**AN: I know this isn't what you really wanted, but things pick up in the next chapter, I feel like I've been moving really fast on this story. I didn't edit it, sorry for the mistakes. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I'm a horrible person, I'm sure you all know that. My motivation to write anything remotely good has been nonexistent. School has basically beat the living daylights out of me and my personal life isn't fairing too well. I hope that this chapter makes up for the wait, don't hate me. This chapter is partially inspired by the song "Say Something" by A Great Big World. Not proof read. **

The lights flickered on in my cell, too bright, waking me from my restless sleep. I squinted from the sudden brightness, trying to gain my bearings, looking at the clock on the wall. It read 4:32 in the morning. Before I could register what was happening, a pair of hands clamped onto my arms, roughly pulling me out of my cell. I was thrown onto the ground, hands being bound tightly behind my back. I looked around, still groggy, to find an equally groggy and angry Finnick being thrown onto the ground next to me, his hands being bound in a similar fashion.

"What's going on?" I yelled angrily, "What are you doing?" The guard closest to me gave a huff and kicked my side, murmuring that I needed to shut up. Finnick began to protest, but a guard smacked him in the head with the butt of his gun, silencing him.

The doors to the cell room flew open, around twenty guards entered, shoving five prisoners with bags over their heads onto the floor ten feet in front of us. All of their hands were tied behind their backs, the one on the far right was shaking in fear, making pitiful noises every now and again. President Snow casually walked into the room, straightening his lapel and taking a sniff of the horrendous white rose pinned to it. I glared at him as he paced slowly in front of us, imagining all the ways I could kill him if I had the chance. Slitting his throat would be nice, his blood would stain that too-perfect white rose.

Snow paused in front of Finnick and me, smiling too sweetly before asking, "Did you honestly think you would get away with it?" I gulped, trying to keep my face blank.

"I have no clue what you are talking about, Mr. President."

He chuckled, "Oh, I think you do. Funny how I never really saw the resemblance between you and the Avox girl." A guard pulled off the hood of the third prisoner, revealing the terrified Avox girl. Snow walked over to her and picked up a strand of her hair, twirling it around his finger. "But with her hair dyed to look so much like yours, the resemblance is uncanny, how could I miss it?" He tugged her hair sharply before letting it drop and walked over to me. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up into his snake-like eyes, the horrible stench of blood and roses washing over me. "Now, let me ask you one more time, did you honestly think you would get away with it?"

I didn't say a thing, looking defiantly up at him, refusing to give in. He laughed again, patting my cheek in a fatherly way. I pulled back as if my face had been burned. "It was a nice little plan you had going, I must admit. You would do all of the public work, but once it came time, you would swap places and the _virtuous _Katniss would hide away while our lovely Veronica would get the dirty job done. An almost perfect plan, except you forget, I have eyes and ears everywhere my dear. You had me tricked for awhile, but you made mistakes." He chuckled, waving his hands around the room, "And now here we are."

I closed my eyes tight and pleaded, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry. Please, let her go. It's not her fault, punish me! It was my idea all along. I take full responsibility and will suffer the consequences of my actions."

Snow smirked at me, "Ah yes, yes you will, but first I will let our 'guest' go. Guards?" Two guards immediately pulled Veronica out of the line up and untied her. She stood there, slightly hunched, obviously afraid. Her eyes darted around, but then locked on mine. She gave a slight nod of thanks and began to ran towards the doors. "Oh guards, you forgot something! Finish her," Snow commanded, carelessly waving at Veronica's retreating form. The guard closest to her raised his gun. A shot rang out, reverberating around the room. Veronica stumbled and fell, bleeding profusely from her back.

The room seemed to cave in on itself. Everything slowed. Veronica hit the ground hard, her head bouncing slightly when it hit the floor, eyes closed. A pool of blood was forming around her. In the distance, I heard a terrible, blood-curdling scream and a deep, dark laugh. It felt like my face was bleeding, but as some of the liquid fell into my mouth, I realized it was my own tears and that I was the one screaming. _Is that really me?_ It was such an unnatural, animal-like scream filled with so much pain and suffering and _guilt. _My vision was blurry from my previous grogginess and from my tears, but I could see Snow standing in front of me.

"This is only the beginning of your punishment, Ms. Everdeen. And don't think that Mr. Odair won't be punished as well. Even though he seems to have not known what you were doing, you must understand that your actions effect everyone. Bring in the chair," Snow commanded, and two of his guards brought in a chair equipped with arm and leg restraints. Two other guards had picked up one of the prisoners and began to strap them into the chair, the prisoner was struggling against them.

Once the prisoner was strapped in, Snow yanked off the bag, revealing a sweaty, crazed Peeta. He was panting heavily from the struggle. His eyes locked onto mine and my heart broke a little. He wasn't Peeta, he wasn't my Peeta anymore. A monster stood in his place, took on his form. Peeta looked at me with such hatred and loathing, it terrified me. He could, and would, kill me if he had the chance, without regret, without hesitation.

Snow waltzed over to a nearby table, delicately picking up a single syringe. He walked over to Peeta and stopped briefly, turning to me, "I think it's time you witnessed the effects of Tracker Jacker venom, Ms. Everdeen. You see, this is the last injection before our dear friend Mr. Mellark is fully hijacked. I wanted you to see it, because you could have prevented it. You could have prevented all of this."

I tried to look away, but a guard had come up behind me, wrapping his hand underneath my jaw, forcing me to watch. I lump formed in my throat and my eyes teared up. _How could this all have gone so wrong? This is all my fault. _

"Please! Snow, I am begging you, leave him alone! Torture me, kill me! He doesn't deserve this, I deserve this! Please, please, leave Peeta out of this!" I sobbed, struggling against the guard holding me.

Snow merely chuckled, tapping the air bubbles out of the syringe, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Ms. Everdeen. These are the consequences of your actions," with that, he plunged the syringe into Peeta's arm. Peeta writhed in the chair, screeching in pain. His veins began to bulge, his eyes were bloodshot, and his sweat matted his hair to his head. Over Peeta's cries, Snow hollered, "Katniss did this to you, Peeta! She could have saved you from this torture, but she chose her own selfish desires! She never loved you! She wants you dead!"

Peeta gave one more murderous roar before collapsing against the chair, exhausted, panting heavily. He seemed to be awake, but his head was bowed. The guard holding my head roughly shoved me away as he let go. Snow walked over to the other prisoners, jerking off their hoods to reveal Johanna, Cinna, and Annie. Johanna looked pissed, Cinna looked like he was trying to keep calm, and Annie was a nervous wreck. She shook uncontrollably from fear, pathetic whimpers escaping her lips every now and again. They all looked relatively unharmed, which was a partial relief.

Once Annie was unveiled, Finnick immediately began murmuring words of encouragement to her, trying to calm her. I could tell that Johanna was trying to get out of her restraints, looking like she was about to bite off the head of a guard once she was free. Cinna looked at me steadily, seemingly trying to transfer his strength and calmness to me. I nodded at him in thanks. I could still hear Finnick beside me, whispering, "Annie, it's going to be alright, you're going to be alright. I'm here, I'll protect you. You are safe with me, okay? Trust me, I will not let anything hurt you, I promise." Through her tears, Annie looked into Finnick's eyes and gave the smallest of smiles, nodding her head ever so slightly in acknowledgment.

It was the sound of a gun cocking that knocked us all out of our little reunion. Snow stood behind all five of them, pistol in hand. He smirked at me, asking, "Now this, Ms. Everdeen, is the _fun _part. Who shall I punish next?" He held the gun to the nape of Annie's neck, "The broken one? The one who has captured Finnick Odair's heart?"

He then held the gun to Cinna's head, "The stylist? The one who is the quiet supporter of the Girl on Fire?"

He held the gun to Johanna's head, "The ax-swinging ally? The hot-headed girl from District Seven with no family left?"

He pointed the gun at Peeta's head, "The boy with the bread? Lover-boy? The boy who risked his life to be with you?"

He then pointed the gun in between Finnick's eyes, "Or the Capitol heartthrob? The man who has sold himself in order to protect his loved ones, his Annie? Such a hard decision. What do you think Katniss? Who should be punished?"

I almost wanted to say Peeta, I wanted to end the suffering I brought upon him. Death would be the release he needed. Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Me. Punish me." Snow started laughing, really laughing. He laughed so hard that he began to cough, he held a handkerchief up to his mouth and when he pulled it back, it was covered in blood. He swiftly tucked it away in his pocket.

"Ahh, Ms. Everdeen, when will you ever learn?" he asked, swinging the gun to the back of Johanna's head. She gasped slightly when the barrel of the gun touched her head, but bit her lip, silencing her unwanted outburst. She stared defiantly at me, rightfully pissed at me. I looked back at her, a sincere apology in my eyes. Johanna took one last full breath before the trigger was pulled. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see my friend, however complicated the relationship may be, die.

Another shot rang out for the second time. I opened my eyes slowly, looking to wear Johanna's body should have been laying, but she wasn't there. She was still kneeling with a shocked and horrified look on her face. My ears finally began to register Finnick's emotional screams. I looked over to see Annie's figure laying on the floor, shot in the back. I couldn't control myself anymore, I broke down, screaming and crying my heart out, cursing Snow, cursing myself. Four guards has to hold Finnick back as he went ballistic, trying to fight his way over to Annie's body.

"Annie! Annie, please! Say something!" Finnick cried as he continued to struggle, kicking at the guards holding him.

Snow coughed and said, "We're almost done, Ms. Everdeen. Now, you can be punished. It seems fit that you are punished by the person you've caused the most harm. Guards, let him go." Snow immediately turned and left as two guards released Peeta from his restraints. He didn't move at first, but with a zap from one of the guard's night sticks, he was up and moving. He looked around the room once, resembling a predator searching for his prey, before his blue eyes locked onto mine. Peeta pounced on me, knocking the breath out of me, rolling us over multiple times before he landed on top. My arms were still restrained behind me and with his added weight were being crushed.

Somehow, the whole room erupted in chaos. Johanna had somehow managed to get out of the restraints and had released Cinna's from his, and both were now fighting with the guards. Johanna had even managed to steal a guard's night stick zapping one to the point where he collapsed to the floor, twitching occasionally. Finnick had knocked out two of the four guards he had been fighting with, still trying to get to Annie's limp body.

A quick punch to the face brought me back to my own predicament. Peeta was breathing heavily, growling at me. I knew I deserved this, for all that I had done to him, but I was still terrified of him. He wrapped his hands around my neck and began to squeeze very tightly. As my airway was being closed off, I made noises of protest. Peeta took one hand away and smacked me, silencing me, then placed his hand back around my neck.

"You stupid whore! You filthy mutt! You tried to have me killed, now see how the tables have turned?" Peeta laughed maniacally.

My vision began to swim, little black dots entered my line of sight. I was going to die. I was going to die by the hands of the person I had caused the most pain and anguish. Perhaps this was Life's odd justice? Maybe this is what I deserved. I had caused so much pain and suffering throughout my life with the Games, the Quarter Quell, and this idiotic rebellion. It was a far-fetched idea anyway, why did I go along with it? Why did I put all of my loved ones in danger? Why couldn't I have died in the first Games? This was the price I had to pay for all the lives I destroyed, for all the people I killed, for all the pain I caused. I closed my eyes, imagining all the good people in my life, Peeta, Prim, Finnick, and so many others. They would be better off without me. They would be happy without me. I closed my eyes even tighter, accepting my imminent death.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey****...? I feel horrible for not updating for almost three months, but I wasn't inspired to write anything and you guys deserved some decent writing, not anything rushed. I still have no idea where this story is going or how it will end. This chapter is influenced by the song "We Remain" by Christina Aguilera from the Catching Fire soundtrack. I hope you enjoy this chapter and will pardon me for the prolonged hiatus. I do not own the Hunger Games or any of its characters.**

_The warm, homey smell of bread filled the air. I opened my eyes, I was my Seam home, laying in my bed with Prim's plaid blanket around me. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes and brushing my bed hair behind my ear. I expected to see Prim or mother at the stove, but instead it was Peeta, pulling a loaf of cheesy bread out of the oven. _

_He looked well, his hair had grown out a bit, and he had gained some healthy weight. He wore cargo pants and a white shirt. He didn't notice that I had woken up yet, so I took the opportunity to admire him, the way he was so focused at the task at hand. He sprinkled some shredded cheese on top as the bread was cooling and picked up the pan to place it on a cooling rack. Only when he turned around did he notice that I was awake. _

_He smiled softly, "Hey Katniss," he held up the loaf of bread a little higher, "I made your favorite."_

_I smiled back a him, "Thank you," I paused, hesitant to ask, "How have you been, Peeta?"_

_He sighed, setting down the bread, "I've been better. It's been hard since the Games, and I have a feeling it's not going to get any better anytime soon. At least I don't have to go through this alone" he locked his eyes with mine, smiling reasssuredly._

_I nodded, "I'm glad it's with you, I don't think anyone else would understand like you would. Not even Prim."I held his hand gently, "We'll get through this together, I promise."_

"_Is that a promise you can keep?" he asked, almost vehemently, moving closer towards me, grasping my hand even tighter. _

_Now I was confused. What was he talking about? This was odd, why was he in my house? My Seam house? None of this made sense. I closed my eyes and forced my self to breath steadily. _

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. I volunteered for Prim. Peeta and I won the 74th Hunger Games. We sent back into the Games to compete in the Quarter Quell. District 13 exists and is trying to over throw President Snow. I am, unwillingly, the Mockingjay. Peeta wants to kill me. I deserve to be killed. _

_I took a deep breath in and reopened my eyes, looking back up at Peeta. Peeta's eyes dilated and grew darker. The hand that was holding mine suddenly snapped up and wrapped around my throat. He dragged me off the bed and slammed me into the closest wall. I clawed at his hand to release me, but it was of no use. His hot breath tickled my face. He growled at me, squeezing my throat even tighter._

"_You filthy mutt, you stupid Capitol whore, I'm going to enjoy killing you- _slowly- _in every way I know you fear. And when I'm done with you, I'm going to kill that brat sister of yours. What was her name again? Prim?" he laughed maniacally. _

_I snapped at that. I brought my knee up into his abdomen- hard- relishing a bit in the pain I caused him. Peeta doubled over and loosened his grip enough for me to escape. I ran as fast as I could out of the house and towards the fence. I could hear Peeta's heave footsteps close behind me, but I was faster. I prayed the fence was not electrified and dived through the hole in the fence, running towards the tree trunk that held my bow and arrows. I searched quickly, I heard the rattling of the fence, knowing that Peeta would have some difficulty fitting through the small hole. To my dismay, the bow and arrows were not in the tree trunk, someone must have removed them. For some reason, I had the Hanging Tree song that my father used to sing running through my mind. _

Are you, are you  
>Coming to the tree?<br>Where they strung up a man  
>They say murdered three.<br>Strange things did happen here  
>No stranger would it be<br>If we met up at midnight  
>In the hanging tree.<em><br>_

_I sprinted off into the woods, heading towards the lake. I heard Peeta's heavy footsteps gaining on me, so I decided to climb a nearby tree. I knew Peeta couldn't climb well, if at all, giving me an advantage over him. I climbed halfway up the tree, enough cover so I wouldn't be seen immediately, but still could spot Peeta and climb higher if I needed. Admittedly, climbing trees in loose, gray pajama pants and a green tank-top wasn't the easiest task. Although the clothes allowed for more flexibility, they teared easily and the tree bark scratched at my skin underneath the clothing. Being barefoot didn't help either, my feet were already dirty and bleeding from the chase. The song was still echoing in my mind._

Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree?_  
><em>Where the dead man called out_  
><em>For his love to flee._  
><em>Strange things did happen here_  
><em>No stranger would it be_  
><em>If we met up at midnight_  
><em>In the hanging tree.

_I quieted and huddled closer to the tree trunk as Peeta walked around the tree, looking suspiciously about. He had somehow procured a knife and wielded it in his right hand._

_"Where are you, mutt? I know you're hiding," he called out, continuing to search the area, but never venturing too far from the tree. I shifted slightly, trying to keep visual on Peeta, and extended a hand out to support myself. The branch I laid my hand on had rotted and it collapsed under the pressure of my hand, cracking loudly and falling to the ground below._

_I cursed under my breath as Peeta jogged to the tree and looked up it, "Found you, mutt!" and smiled evilly, beginning to climb. I began to climb higher, quickly gaining altitude, but when I looked down to see how far Peeta had climbed, he was twenty feet behind me, climbing surprisingly well. I looked around for a nearby tree, then jumping over to the closest one. My hands and feet were raw from latching on to the bark. _

_I leaped to the next closest tree, but the branch I landed on snapped under my weight and I plummeted, grunting as I hit the ground, rolling to lessen the impact. Peeta was close behind me and gaining fast, so I sprinted towards the nearby lake. Without looking back, I dove into the water, swimming out to the middle of the lake. I thought I had gained an edge over Peeta, knowing he couldn't swim. _

_I was wrong. _

Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree?_  
><em>Where I told you to run,_  
><em>So we'd both be free._  
><em>Strange things did happen here_  
><em>No stranger would it be_  
><em>If we met up at midnight_  
><em>In the hanging tree.

_The lake was surrounded by the fallen. Former victors, former tributes, former loved ones. I could see Clove, Cato, and the other careers standing by each other, each holding their weapon of choice at the ready. Foxface, Thresh, and Rue stood together, holding hands. My father stood on the opposite side, wearing his mining helmet, but had a look of disappointment and shame on his face. Mags, Wiress, and the morphlings huddled together, disgust marred their faces. The other fallen victors surrounded the lake with their weapons raised, ready for attack. Madge sat in the water in a white dress, her eyes portrayed pity and sorrow. Veronica finished the circle, revenge and anger mingled with apprehension and regret flashed across her face._

_They all began chanting, "Kill the mutt. Kill the mutt. Kill the mutt!". _

_I splashed around wildly, panicked, trying to find an opening in the circle to escape through, but the lake was completely blocked off by the army of the fallen. Yet, none of the fallen waded into the water to advance on their threat. Somehow, this terrified me even more, it was like they were waiting for something. Admittedly, I was growing tired as the wait continued, growing closer and closer to just treading water. Suddenly, something yanked down on my right ankle, dragging me under the murky water. When I was a couple of feet under, the grip on my ankle released and I swam back to the surface. As I resurfaced, I gasped in much needed air and glanced around, trying to find the source of the yanking. _

_Much to my surprise and dismay, Finnick surfaced a few feet from me. He looked pissed- murderous- his bronze hair sticking to his forehead because of the water. _

"_What are you doing, Finnick?" I exclaimed, trying to discreetly put distance between us. _

_He smirked wickedly, chuckling, "I'm here to kill the mutt. You killed my Annie, you deserve to die, and I'm glad that I'm the one to kill you. Goodbye, Mockingjay" and with that he lunged at me, seizing me by the hair and pushing me under the water. _

_I tried to kick and lash out, but he was so much stronger than I was and held me under easily. His face was blurred by the water, but I could still see his cruel, gleeful smile and his green eyes flashed with delight. I could see my last air bubbles rise to the surface as I began to inhale the cold water. My lungs felt as if they were going to burst, either from the lack of oxygen or from the water that was slowly filling them. _

_Although muffled, I could still hear Finnick and the others chanting as my vision went black, "Kill the mutt! Kill the mutt! Kill the mutt!"._

Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree?_  
><em>Wear a necklace of rope,_  
><em>Side by side with me._  
><em>Strange things did happen here_  
><em>No stranger would it be_  
><em>If we met up at midnight_  
><em>In the hanging tree.

~o~o~o~

My eyes snapped open and I tried to bolt up, but was restrained. I heard the beeping of hospital instruments and the steady drip of an IV bag. My mouth was dry and when I tried to swallow my throat protested. I attempted to look around the room, but a violent headache sprang up at every movement. I huffed in exasperation, closing my eyes tightly. I tried to breathe steadily, trying to forget the horrible dream. Maybe I was in Limbo? It was too nice for Hell, yet too painful for Heaven.

Someone chuckled off to my left and felt a shadow fall over me, "Good to see you finally awake, Girl on Fire".

"Finnick?" I whispered, squinting my eyes open a bit and saw his vague figure.

"The one and only," I could hear the smirk in his voice, smiling a little myself.

He undid the restraints on my wrists and gently massaged where they had become raw from my tugging.

I coughed awkwardly before asking, "So...what happened?"

Finnick shook his head and sighed. It appeared that he was trying to find the best way to say whatever he had to say. He looked down, suddenly fascinated by the back of my hand, before explaining, "After Snow left, all hell broke loose. I had managed to take down four guards, Cinna had taken down quite a few too. Hell, Johanna had taken a bit out of one guard's neck, the little spitfire, just like Enobaria" he chuckled sadly at that.

He rubbed his eyes, I finally noticed how much of a toll this whole ordeal had on him. He was exhausted, both in body and mind. "I remember Snow had mentioned to one of the guards that if Peeta didn't kill you, that they could have their fun and then kill you both. We all kept fighting, but there were so many guards and they just kept coming. All the lights suddenly went out, the emergency lights came on, and Gale and the others from 13 came storming in. Beetee had found a way to hack into the mansion's computer system, don't ask how. That was the plan from the start, if the situation wasn't resolved after a certain time, they would send in a rescue team and bring us back to 13. And here we are, not a second too late. Even Haymitch was worried about us."

"What happened to Peeta?" I asked quietly.

"We got him off you and sedated him. You both put up a good fight, he's hurt about the same that you are. He's in containment for right now until we, or you, decide what to do with him."

"And what about Veronica and Annie?" I asked timidly, afraid to know the answer.

Finnick dropped his face in his hands and shook a little. He rubbed his face as he looked back up, tears in his eyes. "Veronica is dead, there was nothing anyone could do to save her. Annie...she's in surgery right now, has been for the last eight hours. It's not looking to good," he breathed shakily, "the bullet Snow shot grazed her right lung. As we were trying to carry out of there, in the chaos, another bullet hit her in the abdomen. I haven't heard anything yet, so I guess no news is good news, right?" he smiled weakly, but the anguish was obvious in his eyes.

I took his hand, ignoring my body's protests, and squeezed it reassuringly. "She'll make it, I know she will."

Finnich smiled sadly at me, "I hope so." He cleared his throat before continuing, "One more thing, we have Snow's granddaughter."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"When the mansion was being hacked into, all forces were sent to the mansion in order to identify and terminate the threat. While they were en route, we made our escape in the hovercrafts. Coin knew where his granddaughter was being kept- in her mother's house a few blocks away from the mansion. When the extra forces left for the mansion, another strike team was sent in and grabbed her."

"Why would they leave Snow's daughter and granddaughter unprotected?"

"They didn't, not all of the guards left, they were still a few hanging around to protect them, but not enough to hold off the strike team."

"Do you know what this means?" I asked in wonderment.

Finnick smirked, "We have leverage over Snow."

**AN: I feel bad, I'm so used to writing hijacked Peeta that it's pretty much the only way I picture him now. I hope you guys had a happy New Year!**


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